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Synaptics combines face and fingerprint recognition on your phone
Fingerprint readers and facial recognition techniques are good for adding a base level of security to your phone without sacrificing convenience. However, they have their limits. It can be hard to switch between methods on a whim, and dedicated intruders can get through if they either make you unlock your phone or develop convincing fakes. Synaptics thinks it has a solution: It's unveiling a "biometric fusion engine" that can combine results from face and fingerprint detection before letting you into a mobile device or PC. Ideally, this makes it easier to sign in even as it adds an extra layer of security.
Synaptics' fingerprint sensor fits inside the volume rocker
Synaptics' latest fingerprint sensor for mobile devices measures only 3.5 mm wide. It's so thin and tiny, it can fit inside a volume rocker switch on the side of your smartphone or tablet. The company is no stranger to developing sensors for various parts of the phone, such as the one it supplied for the HTC One Max that's located on the device's back plate. You might have to wait until next year to see the tiny scanner in action, though, since it's not slated to enter mass production until the third quarter of 2016. Besides the new product, Synaptics has also upgraded its SentryPoint security suite with an anti-spoofing feature.